<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3MzBFJ_1H0Q1PxL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3MzBFJ_1H0Q1PxL00" width="980" height="612" ><figcaption>Photo by tbralnina - Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>From the record-breaking success of Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” to the historic Oscar-winning movie <i>Parasite</i> and K-pop artists headlining stadiums across the country, the Korean wave has swept through the United States. Its influence can also be felt across Milwaukee, as more people are embracing Korean culture and particularly its food.</p><p>The phenomenon is referred to as “Hallyu,” a collective term for the spread and popularity of South Korean culture across the world.</p><p>The presence of the Hallyu can be felt throughout Milwaukee with everything from music and film to skincare and wellness. However, the most noticeable aspect of Korean culture is through food, as people discover dishes beyond Korean barbecue.</p><p>Before the 1990s, there wasn’t a Korean presence in the Milwaukee food scene, with Korean cuisine largely homecooked within the community or sold in Asian grocery markets across the Silver City neighborhood and West Allis.</p><p>Due to growing demand and the economic mobility of first-generation immigrants, authentic Korean restaurants began opening across the city, serving traditional dishes such as bulgogi, Korean fried chicken and galbi (beef short ribs).</p><h2>Noticeable Surge</h2><p>However, it wasn’t until K-culture became a mainstream phenomenon that there was a noticeable surge in Korean restaurants across Milwaukee and a growing curiosity about authentic Korean cuisine.</p><p>Han Kim, owner and founder of Sinabro, a Korean restaurant and noodle house in the Historic Third Ward, has seen first-hand how Hallyu had an impact on the Korean food scene in Milwaukee.</p><p>“Artists like BTS and BLACKPINK and K-pop brought a lot of attention to Korean culture across the U.S.,” he said. “At the same time, you have these major films and shows that are blowing up, such as “Squid Game” and <i>Parasite</i>. That put Korean and our culture on the map and people wanted to try our food. Those forces brought attention and made it less intimidating than what it was before when it comes to food.”</p><p>When Kim opened Sinabro in 2024, he carried on the family business, as his parents Hae Jeong Kim and Jongsoo Kim had owned and operated prominent spots such as Kanpai Izakaya, Char’d and Maru Korean Bistro across the city.</p><h2>Third Ward Launchpad </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4dCws9_1H0Q1PxL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4dCws9_1H0Q1PxL00" width="980" height="612" ><figcaption>Photo via Maru Korean - Instagram</figcaption></figure><p>Hae Jeong Kim and Jongsoo Kim moved to Milwaukee in 2012 to open Kanpai Izakaya, which served modern Japanese cuisine and sushi. However, the restaurateurs also used the Historic Third Ward spot as a launchpad to introduce Korean flavors to the neighborhood with dishes such as bulgogi. They later established the Historic Third Ward’s first dedicated Korean restaurant, Char’d, in 2018.</p><p>Unlike other East Asian countries such as China or Japan, there wasn’t a mainstream and ingrained presence of Korean cuisine across Milwaukee. The Kim family therefore found certain cultural gaps that they had to adapt to and cater towards within the local market.</p><p>Food is seen as a cornerstone of Korean society, where people strengthen relationships and build emotional connections while sharing food and drinks. One of the most important aspects of Korean cuisine is banchan—side dishes, typically vegetables, served alongside the main course. It is a symbol of community and generosity. However, despite its significance in Korean food culture, it was something that was still unfamiliar to the Milwaukee customer base.</p><h2>Cultural Gap</h2><p>“When we first opened, we used to prepare banchan daily and hand out five or six different plates. Early on, people were skeptical to even try them and they would always ask, ‘What’s that?’ or ‘I didn’t order this?’ There was a cultural gap of understanding that this is a traditional thing in Korean cuisine and you’re supposed to eat it with your mains and rice,” said Kim.</p><p>“From a business point of view, because so many people are wasting it, we used to hand out less and less. We saw that people were initially scared to try certain Korean dishes such as kimchi, but now they’re willing to try it.”</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4BR9j5_1H0Q1PxL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4BR9j5_1H0Q1PxL00" width="670" height="503" ><figcaption>Photo via Visit Milwaukee</figcaption></figure><p>In recent years, Han Kim has remarked on the increased presence of fast-casual Korean spots popping up around the city. This includes the popular Soban Korean Eatery, which serves fast-casual authentic Korean fare, including signature bowls of Spicy Gochujang Pork and Bulgogi Beef.</p><p>There will also be a new addition to the fast-casual Korean dining scene in Milwaukee, as the Kim family will soon open a bb.q Chicken—a Korean fried chicken franchise with more than 3,500 locations worldwide—on East Erie Street in the Third Ward.</p><h2>Culture and Community</h2><p>“Accessibility to Korean cuisine is always a great thing for the culture and the community,” said Kim. “The more surface area for people to experience Korean culture and food is overall better for any business in the community.”</p><p>For Kim, the growing interest in Korean food represents more than just the success of his own restaurants. It is a sign that Milwaukee diners are becoming more familiar with a cuisine that was once unfamiliar to many.</p><p>The restaurateur believes that the future looks bright for the Korean restaurant industry in Milwaukee as he remarks. “Korean culture is not going to get less popular,” he said. With an invested interest, both culturally and from a business point of view, Kim is excited to see how the Korean food scene in Milwaukee will evolve over the next few years and bring authentic Korean flavors to more people across the city.</p><p>“As someone who was born in Korea but naturalized in America, it brings joy to my heart to see all of these folks who are now seeing the beauty of Korea with its culture, the food and music. At the end of the day, I am just glad that people have discovered Korean food. Nothing pains my heart more than when I meet folks in their 20s or 30s who have never tried it before. I am just glad and grateful that this is something I am able to help change,” said Kim.</p></div></body>

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From the record-breaking success of Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” to the historic Oscar-winning movie Parasite and K-pop artists headlining stadiums across the country, the Korean wave has swept through the United States. Its influence can also be felt across Milwaukee, as more people are embracing Korean culture and particularly its food.

The Korean Wave Reaches Milwaukee!

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From the record-breaking success of Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” to the historic Oscar-winning movie Parasite and K-pop artists headlining stadiums acros

The Korean Wave Reaches Milwaukee!

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